Too Late For Sorry
by MaudIsCountingTheDays
Summary: He saved her life once, now it's her turn to save him.  My 1st HPFanfic so please bear with me. Pls R/R :D
1. Prologue

**Summary:** He saved her life once, now it's her turn to save him.

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**TOO LATE FOR SORRY**

PROLOGUE:

_I'm dead_. That Hermione knew for sure. The moment Bellatrix and Fenrir Greyback dragged her faced- down to this hell-hole they call Malfoy Manor; She knew that death was just bidding his time to claim her. She won't have time to say goodbye. She won't have time to see _them_ fall. Because they knew for a fact that she would rather die an excruciating death than to betray her friends. A very Gryffindor of her, they sneered.

Hermione just took comfort of the fact that her parents were safely tucked in Australia with no knowledge that they have a daughter. A _dying _daughter. She almost smiled and cringed from that thought. She wished she could look at them for one last time, tell them the words she failed to tell in the past. _I love you. I'm sorry. __I'm glad you won't miss me._ She had lost a lot of people she loved and treasured and it pained her to think how hurtful it would be if her friends learned of her death. She noticed a tear escaped from her eyes but she couldn't brush them away. She couldn't feel her fingers and arms anymore. In fact she couldn't feel her whole body. Everything physical was numb.

She lost count of the days she spent in the damp and smelly cellar. Was it 2 days? Or 3? A week perhaps? She doesn't really know. In times like these, _time _is just a perspective.

She begged them to kill her. The pain was unbelievable. She was horribly shocked that she actually survived it, because then, it will give them more chance to make her feel the agony again. Being stabbed by a thousand white-hot knives would be exponentially lovelier.

They said they couldn't kill her. _Yet. _Because it would be young Malfoy's job to do so as a punishment for failing to kill Dumbledore. They hoped killing her would wake up Malfoy's inner evil. Hermione snorted when she first heard it. His inner evil _is_ very much alive. No amount of killing is needed to bring his wickedness to the surface. He_ is_ evil through and through.

She never thought that she would live to see a day when she will give everything to see Draco Malfoy.

The dungeon door opened and a flood of light submerged the room she was in. In days she stayed there, that was the only time she took hold of her surroundings. The room was circular with no windows. The ceiling was low; low enough to give her the feeling of being in an oversized-coffin. The floor was wet with sticky liquid that looks hideously of blood, slime and little else. She shrugged to think that that amount of blood was not all hers. There was simply too much. Her insides squirmed; other people were tortured and possibly died here before her.

"Get up sunshine," Bellatrix walked over to her side with her most menacing smile. She closed her eyes. She doesn't want to know what they will do to her this time. "Don't you want to see your visitor?" The older woman's mouth was mere inches from Hermione's cheeks. Bellatrix foul breath gave her chills but she stood her ground. She didn't open her eyes.

"Stupidity and bravery of a _true_ Gryffindor," the evil woman jeered in a sing-song voice "She's all yours Draco." and she left half closing the dungeon door.

Hermione's eyes snapped open.

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_Review please? It's my first Harry Potter Fanfic so i want to know what you think. :D_


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N** Sorry for a bit chaotic writing style. Patience, it never hurts to have one *wink*

**Disclaimer:** The last time I checked, JK Rowling still owns everything.

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CHAPTER 1:

"Wake up, Hermione, wake up!"

Blurred figures surrounded her half-sleeping figure. She could outline Harry, Ron and Ginny hovering over her in that little room in the Burrow. Even in the darkness of the night, she could see the worry and confusion that were etched through their faces. Hermione lifted her hands to her cheeks to make sure her fingers were not all numb. She felt her cheeks wet with tears.

"It's just a nightmare, 'Mione." said Ron after awhile. He sat beside her on the bed Hermione shared with Ginny and he wiped her cheeks dry. "It's alright now." he dropped his hands on her knees.

"Here, drink this" Harry offered her a mug full of steaming liquid. She got up and saw his hands shaking; she could tell that he didn't have a goodnight sleep as well. Hermione's not the only one who was being disturbed by bad dreams. "What were you dreaming about?" He asked.

She gulped down a considerable amount of water before answering him. She couldn't believe her throat and mouth was that dry she could feel some throat-skin flaking. Memories of her nightmare flashed before her eyes and she decided she doesn't want them to know.

"Uh. You know. Those stuffs." she said dismissively. She gripped her fingers to the mug Harry gave her. She kept her eyes down for fear they could actually see what's troubling her. Urgh. What nonsense. Harry wasn't able to master Occlumency, let alone Legilimency. Nevertheless, Hermione still kept her eyes down. "I'm fine now. I'm sorry to wake you up."

"Hermione, what's bothering you?" Ron asked again. She could tell he won't give up that easily. "Maybe we cou—"

"Let her sleep Ronald," Ginny finally spoke. Her pale blue eyes gazed at Hermione. "Let her sleep and we could talk about it tomorrow."

"But…"

"That's a good idea Ron" Harry said firmly, gesturing for Ron to leave. Before both of them left the room, he turned back at the ladies "Goodnight, 'Mione and you Ginny."

Hermione tried to close her eyes but images from her nightmare kept on repeating before her eyes like an endless refrain. She got up and sat on the edge of the bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep after this. She felt her hands shook.

After some time Ginny broke the silence, Hermione must have jumped slightly because she chuckled. The bushy haired girl thought the redhead fell asleep when the boys left. "You can tell me about it, you know." Ginny said as-a-matter-of-factly "I know I couldn't help. But it will feel loads better to let it all out." when Hermione didn't answer, she continued "its fine. We could talk about it tomorrow. Or whenever you're ready. J-just don't bottle up your thoughts like that." She felt Ginny roll over her side of bed and minutes later she finally fell into a peaceful nightmare-free slumber.

/

"About last night…" Hermione began. They just had breakfast and the three of them sat in Ron's room; the boys were playing wizard's chess while Hermione observed on the sideline.

"Look, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Harry countered while watching his rook being slaughtered by Ron's knight "We know that something's upsetting you somehow, and it's understandable, you know."

Hermione fell silent for a moment. Lost in her thoughts. She really wanted to tell her two best-friends what's troubling her but she don't think they will understand. After all, anger that started at a young age grew roots. And roots like that is impossible to get rid of. Her mind drifted to the cause of her troubles a week ago.

"_I can't believe that one year has passed," Ron said after a messy game of Exploding snap. They were lying on their back in The Burrow's garden. The sky was clear, not a hint of clouds. More or less a perfect lazy day. Everything has almost returned to normal. They were still grieving from the numerous lives that were claimed during the war but the pain was all behind them. They were now in the process of accepting the whole lot._

"_Yes. Even I couldn't believe it," Harry agreed. "It was all over." Hermione could hear the intense relief in his voice._

"_I'm going back to Hogwarts," she said after a while. The two boys looked at her intently "After the rehabilitation was over, I mean."_

"_Blimey, 'Mione" Ron said disbelieving "Don't you want to take a break?"_

"_You just said the one year has passed. Isn't that enough break for you?" _

"_No. I mean, we're war heroes now," His eyes lit up as he said it "Our faces are all over the Daily Prophet and there are loads of unauthorized biographies written for us. You still think you need to go to school?"_

"_Yes because no matter what they say, we did it through tons of help from other people. And I just don't think it felt right not to finish school. What do you think Harry?"_

"_Honestly, I don't know what to think." Harry said after some moments "Hogwarts isn't the same without Dumbledore and Snape. But I might change my mind, though. Maybe I still want to go back."_

_Ron was about to say something when three elf owls flew past them, dropping three identical parcels on the process. Wondering who would write at them in that time, Hermione opened her letter._

_._

_._

_Dear Miss Hermione Jean Granger,_

_ After several months and painstaking efforts from the Ministry, __-__– _Hermione grunted, she hadn't still forgiven the Ministry for the negative accusations they give Harry on their fifth year -– _concern citizens and volunteers, we are delighted to info__rm you that the last batch of the Dark Lord's supporters i.e., Death Eaters have been put to custody and now being held at newly re-established Azkaban fortress._

_ As such, we would like to ask for your presence at the mass trial on August 11, 10:00 am to be held at Department of Defense Against Dark Wizards, Auror Office, Ministry of Magic._

_ Hoping you are well,_

_ Yours sincerely,_

_ (Sgd) Agatha Selwyn_

_ Secretary, Auror Office_

_ Ministry of Magic_

_._

_.  
_

_Hermione finished the letter first and looked over to the two boys who, by the look from their faces, couldn't believe what they have just read. It was Harry who spoke first._

"_Why do they want us to be there?" He asked. That's the same question that popped to Hermione's mind after reading the letter._

"_They want us to see their accomplishment." Ron suggested._

"_Maybe," Harry said "Maybe they wanted us there to be witnesses."_

"_They could at least mention in this letter that we have to be their as witnesses" Hermione replied, her gazed transfixed on the letter "But no, it sounds as if they wanted us just to be there. Maybe Ron's right. They wanted to parade their success in rounding up those Death Eaters. Honestly though, not much of accomplishment. Most of them just gave themselves up upon You-Know-Who's death."_

"_Why do they need a trial at all?" Ron asked. "It's a waste of time. Just chucked them all to Azkaban. Have the dementors kiss them."_

"_It's called being humanitarian Ron," Hermione explained "Even the most notorious criminals should be given a fair trial."_

"_Blimey. Look at this" Ron said holding up a bit of paper from the letter after rummaging the contents of the envelope. It was a photograph of some sort. "They don't look good."_

"_They deserved it." Harry retorted holding his own copy._

_Hermione stared at her copy intently. It was a snapshot of the Death Eaters the Ministry was currently holding on custody. When Ron said they don't look good, it was an understatement. They don't look alive at all – as if life has already left them. Hermione couldn't recognize a single face. They looked as if they were made of ashes and bones instead of flesh. In the middle of the photo was an almost familiar feature._

_Draco Malfoy._

_._

_.  
_

"Thank you for understanding," Hermione said after gathering up her thoughts.

"Nah. Don't mention it 'Mione. It's okay. Just say it when you're ready." Ron said after moving his Queen to slew Harry's bishop. "Well, what do you think of Tuesday? About the trial I mean."

"I don't know." it was Harry who answered "I suppose we should go."

"Yes we should." Hermione agreed. She thought maybe by going there; she could settle what's troubling her.

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Thank you for reading.

Reviews = Love :D


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